


Heart Forecast

by AJRaffles



Category: Magic Kaito
Genre: Aokako if you squint, Attempt at Humor, Ekoda Gang Shenanigans, Friendship, I like to believe this qualifies as Fluff, Idiots in Love, Kaitou Kid Heist (Meitantei Conan/Magic Kaito), M/M, Oblivious Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29367897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJRaffles/pseuds/AJRaffles
Summary: There is, at present, a bare minimum of 423,224 people who would love to be KID's valentine.Kaito doesn't get what the big deal is.
Relationships: Hakuba Saguru/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid
Comments: 7
Kudos: 73





	1. February 12th

**Author's Note:**

> _Due to the hustle and bustle of a sweet, floating city  
>  The emotional lines got congested  
> After saying "That doesn't concern me"  
> The colour of my heart is turning white  
> _

Kaito would never be opposed to receiving free chocolate. 

...In an ideal world, that is.

Much to the chagrin of respectable confectioners everywhere, cryptic teenage witches with questionable motives and a blatant disregard for the cold seem to exist out in the world. 

Therefore, exceptions must be made. 

So, save for those of suspicious origins, and those offered by his sworn enemies and by one Koizumi Akako, Kaito would never be opposed to receiving free chocolate. 

It's that time of the year once again. Despite the occasional snowfall and the morning fog, a wide assortment of pinks stands up against the pale midwinter landscape, dyeing storefronts and corners with bright and pastel tones alike. 

Large decorative hearts, accompanied by ornate lettering and delicate flowers are raised like a proud banner across the city. 

Honestly? It's kind of an eyesore. 

But it sets the feelings of youngsters everywhere ablaze. The flushed cheeks, the fleeting glances, the nervous giggles. 

No matter where you turn, there is no escaping them, and school is no exception. 

Kaito still doesn't really get it. 

It's the morning of February 12th. The weather is cold —far too cold— even indoors. Kaito leans back on his seat and swings back and forth: a half-hearted balancing act in an attempt to keep warm. He stares at the ceiling, absentminded, restless. His attention drifts aimlessly, jumping from one thought to the next. 

Aoko and Keiko are happily chatting away a couple of desks up to his right. A tile on the ceiling above him is slightly misaligned. He hears a couple of male students flock to the door. From this angle, doesn’t the texture of the ceiling kinda, sorta look like a clock? For some reason, Aoko sounds embarrassed. What time is it, anyway? Somewhere nearby, Keiko laughs and offers reassuring words to Aoko. Is it past 8:30 already? Hakuba would know. Out of the corner of his eye, he catches a glimpse of a red shadow. But Hakuba isn’t here yet anyway. He’s gonna be late. That’s if he even comes at all. But who cares? Kaito sure doesn—

An unwelcome rush of gelid wind hits him all at once and creeps deep into his bones. It reminds him, all at once, about his plans for tomorrow evening. Kaito shudders, making note to stack himself with extra heat packets in the unlikely event of an emergency escape, and hopes they help him withstand the wind. 

“ _Kuroba-kun._ ”

Kaito swings forward and places his feet back on solid ground with a thud. Standing in front of him, Akako looks at him with a smile that borders on malevolent. There’s a glint in her eyes that makes him wince by reflex. 

Wicked as ever, Akako must have, at some point, opened the window beside him.

“What.” He asks, flat. 

Akako’s grin widens, her voice venomous “You know, for someone who supposedly steals the hearts of everyone he meets, you really haven’t got an ounce of romance in your body.”

“ _What_ ,” Kaito repeats, “Are you going on about?”

“Don’t you think,” she puts a hand atop his desk and starts tapping her nails rhythmically against it, “that a heist targeting a brown opal should have been scheduled for the night of 14th?”

“Huh?” Kaito’s visibly confused, “...No?”

It is Akako’s turn to look surprised. She raises an eyebrow and stares at him with genuine curiosity before clarifying: “...Known as a _chocolate_ opal, Kuroba-kun.”

Yeah, _duh_. He knows. He did his research. So? 

“What does that have to do with me?” Now Kaito makes no effort to hide his annoyance. Akako’s cryptic train of thought is too troublesome to follow. 

“Aaah,” exasperated, Akako sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose, “...You’re totally hopeless.”

Kaito’s about to retort when—

“—Aoko agrees!” 

The smaller girl virtually manifests herself beside them and leaves Kaito wondering whether _she’s_ the one practicing witchcraft. 

“Bakaito _is_ totally hopeless!” Aoko says so with such a bright, cheery smile that feels both contagious and completely disconcerting, “What are we talking about?” 

“Wha- Where did _you_ come from?” Kaito sighs, and there’s this vague sense of defeat, “What are you two ganging up on me for…”

“Ah, Nakamori-san.” When Akako turns to face Aoko, she switches back to that tone which is both sugary and laced with poison, “I was saying that KID is a fool for not holding his heist on the 14th. Maybe he’s losing his flair.”

Aoko blinks once and tilts her head for a moment before letting out a tiny “ _Oh!_ ” She snaps her fingers and puffs her chest out proudly as if she’s reached a most brilliant deduction. “Got it! A chocolate opal for Valentine’s, right?”

“See?” Akako claps once for Aoko, “Even Nakamori-san gets it."

His best friend beams, blissfully unaware that she’s (at least partially) being looked down on.

“Cut it out, Akako.” Kaito sighs a second time, puts an elbow on the desk, and uses his hand as a headrest. “And you, what’s that dumb look for, Ahoko?”

“Don’t be mean, Kaito!” The smaller girl huffs grumpily and crosses her arms, “Akako-chan is right. The set-up is so obvious...KID really is a big dummy!” 

“What if...” It is Keiko who chimes into the conversation this time. She giggles at Aoko, and approaches the group cautiously, “KID has someone special to spend Sunday with, and that’s why he’s holding it earlier?”

How had Kaito ended up in the middle of this sort of sappy talk? Couldn’t a guy just want a Sunday off every now and then?

“No way!” Aoko exclaims almost too eagerly, “Who’d want KID to be their valentine?”

Kaito resists the urge to groan. 

“ _Well..._ ” 

That all-too-familiar voice starts, and Kaito perks up with a start. 

Sure enough, sitting just past Aoko, is Hakuba. 

“As of this moment, a minimum of 423,224 people, Aoko-san.”

It takes Hakuba a moment to elaborate. All four of them stare at him expectantly. Without understanding why, Kaito finds himself holding his breath. Hakuba’s eyes are fixed on his phone’s screen. For a fragment of a second, his gaze is cold, clinical, _severe_... even, as he scrolls through whatever it is he reads.

By the time Hakuba looks up at them again, the polite but self assured smile they’ve grown accustomed to is back on his face. 

“Ah, 671,453.” Hakuba shows his phone to them, a list of popular topics on display. The words _KID_ and _Valentine_ are placed together. “Across most major SNS, users speculating about KID’s partner, and wishing it were them seems to be the most common trend.”

“That’s true! I saw it this morning, too!” Keiko reaches for her own phone and her eyes widen at once. “Over 700,000? It sure goes up fast…”

“Eh? Eeeeh?!”Aoko follows suit, refusing to believe it until seeing it herself. It isn’t long before her face falls in complete and utter dismay. “No way! This many?! That’s impossible!”

“It would be almost impressive,” Akako adds, also examining her phone with a raised eyebrow, “If it wasn’t awfully pitiful.”

Honestly, these four really are…

Kaito looks disapprovingly at the three girls. Their attention is now completely fixed on their Twitter feed. It’s annoying, but he can’t quite pinpoint the reason why. If he had seen it himself, it would’ve probably fed his ego. Because it had been _Hakuba_ , of all people, to bring it up...he can’t quite help but feel like he’s being mocked here.

So he turns around to look at the culprit, only to find Hakuba staring right back. They hold each other’s gaze and stare in silence. Neither of them flinches or wavers. It’s uncomfortable, knowing they’ve caught the other red-handed, but they are both too stubborn to look away. 

“—Aaah, Aoko can’t let this be!” 

Thankfully, Aoko's voice is loud enough to bring their attention (as well as everyone else's) back into reality. 

“We’ve got to stand up against this! If we do, it’ll definitely catch on!” Aoko continues, practically exuding determination. She pounds her chest with a completely unearned sense of confidence that reminds Kaito too much of her father, ”C’mon, Keiko! Post this with me!”

It's Keiko's turn to be caught off guard “Eh? No!" Her face pales. She tucks her phone away and looks at Aoko, horrified at the request "N-No way! I can’t do that!”

“Why not, huh?” Aoko pouts childishly and leans towards Keiko in an attempt to take a peek at her phone. A few seconds later, she freezes, almost as if she's come to a sudden realization. “...Don’t tell me...you also…"

“Why, Momoi-san is also an avid KID fan, isn’t she?” Akako asks this with a faux-innocence underlied by a hunger for absolute mayhem. 

Keiko looks away in shame, with a face that says _guilty as charged_.

" _Keikoooooo_! You traitor!”

Chaos ensues, and it’s rare for Kaito not to be at the center of it. Aoko runs after a shrieking Keiko, and it doesn't take long before everyone in the room is looking at them.

So Kaito stares, Akako laughs, and Hakuba smiles.

“So, you keep track of these things, too?" As Aoko and Keiko run around the classroom, Akako directs her attention towards Hakuba for the first time today. "Very impressive, Hakuba-kun.” 

“Of course." Hakuba nods, speaking with a certain mirth that makes Kaito's blood boil. "When it comes to KID, there’s no such thing as being too thorough.”

Kaito has to roll his eyes at that.

“That’s just like you.” Akako says, then goes back to looking at her phone. She types down something quickly and, from a distance, Kaito can hear Aoko's beep. “There you go, Nakamori-san. For a just cause.”

The ominous glance she shoots at Kaito, alongside her godawful giggle tells him that this is some other joke at his expense. Some snide KID comment he’s not privy to. 

“Oh?" The notification makes Aoko stop in her tracks. She checks whatever she's received and, once again, she's back to being sunshine and joy. 

Not devoid of energy just yet, Aoko rushes back to Akako's side. To the all-mighty witch's surprise, Aoko pulls her down into a tight hug. "Thank you, Akako-chan! This is why you’re Aoko’s favourite!”

"Eh? Uh— Uhm…" 

It's one of those rare occasions where Akako is visibly flustered, and Kaito feels like the universe is finally back on his side. He snickers. "That's right, _Akako-chan_ —you're Ahoko's favourite~! Didn't you know?"

Meanwhile, a panting Keiko makes it back to Hakuba's side. 

“...Hey...since you're the expert…" She wheezes, gasping for air. Hakuba watches her attentively. "...What do you think, Hakuba-kun?”

“About KID?” “I believe he’s far more oblivious than he himself might realise.” 

Hakuba takes a pause. Kaito doesn't need to turn around to be able to tell that this asshole is looking at him intently, yet again. “It’s one of the endearing sides to him, too.”

_Bastard._

Even though Kaito tries to pretend he didn't catch onto that, he feels like his body language must have had some tell.

Otherwise, there wouldn't have been a reason for Hakuba —that prick— to laugh so heartily afterwards. 

Once the room finally settles down, Kaito looks out the window and decidedly away from Hakuba. 

He's certain the heat in his ears and down his cheeks is born out of anger. 

"801,299?!?" There’s a final yell from Aoko before class starts.

Kaito can practically hear the smile in Hakuba's face when he adds: "801,300"

* * *

“I understand that I’m making this request on a late notice.” 

By the time classes are over and students begin to leave for the day, Hakuba stands by the hallway window. All-business, as usual, he speaks over the phone with a polite yet forceful tone. 

“Yes, it is absolutely essential.”

Kaito’s hiding behind the corner. He’s there because- well, _why_ , exactly? It’s not because he’s curious. But there’s a heist within the next 30-ish hours (because only Hakuba would care about how long exactly) and Kaito’s justified in being concerned about what this stuck-up English ass might have in store. That’s what this is. He’s scouting for information. Pure, unadulterated professionalism.

Hakuba purses his lips and takes a deep breath. “Like I said, the rush fee won’t be a problem.” He accentuates.

There's a pause. Kaito doesn't like how that sounds.

“I could double it, if you’d like.” Hakuba adds at last. That seems to do it, because the next thing he does is smile that triumphant smile that makes Kaito's skin crawl. 

“Excellent. I expect to receive it by 1 p.m at latest. Pleasure making business with you.” He hangs up, still smiling, and Kaito can't fathom why he looks so goddamn happy. 

“It’s not polite to eavesdrop, Kuroba-kun.”

Busted. 

“Get over yourself, Hakuba.” Kaito steps from behind his hiding place and feigns disinterest. “Just passing by. ”

He makes his way towards the staircase without meeting Hakuba's eye. He's only a couple of steps down when the taller boy puts a hand on his shoulder and stops him. 

"Kuroba-kun.” Hakuba starts, and his voice is serious again. “I think you should come to the heist tomorrow."

What?

Kaito looks back, shooting daggers. 

There's definitely a sense of déjà vu at play here.

“Didn’t you try this trick before? I’m not going anywhere just so you can handcuff me for no reason, asshole.”

It makes Hakuba chuckle. He's amused and not any less confident. “And you? Are you afraid of not being able to get away using the same trick you did back then?”

“I’m not afraid of anything.” Kaito snaps back. “‘Cause I’m not KID.”

“All the more reason you should come, then.”

“You want me to waste my weekend watching you lose to KID up close?”

“Precisely because you’d get the chance to see it.”

Kaito groans for what feels the 100th time that day. "Don’t you know when to give it up?”

“Hardly ever." That's just how this guy is. He issues a challenge and doesn't back down. "Do you?”

The young magician swats his classmate’s hand away from his shoulder. “You're impossible."

He turns his back to the other boy and continues to walk down the steps. The shoulder Hakuba had been holding suddenly feels warm, tingly, itchy, uncomfortable, cold. 

“Fine. Whatever.” Kaito says despite his reluctance. “ _Just_ to watch you make a fool out of yourself and all that.”

It's so stupid, how he can't turn a challenge from this guy down after all. 

He offers a lazy wave and goes on his way. Behind him, he hears Hakuba say,

“It’s a date, then.” 

Kaito trips on the last step. 


	2. February 13th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _This will turn out as a sweet magic._   
>  _So, go over this night_   
>  _Let that feeling resonate._

In hindsight, Kaito should have known he was being mocked the moment Hakuba had extended this ridiculous invitation. Or maybe he had known, but whatever little impulse control he had had been tossed out the window as it does whenever his classmate is concerned. 

It's February 13th and he’s standing before the entrance of the imposing building where tonight’s heist is to take place. It has long since gotten dark and the evening cold has begun to set in. Aoko and Akako are standing next to him and, as time passes, it's becoming increasingly clearer that Hakuba’s making a point of rounding up all of his acquaintances in order to keep an eye on them all night. 

“If you were actually expecting a date, you could have simply said so.”

The mastermind behind his irritation pokes fun at his sour expression and does nothing to improve his mood. 

“What are you going on about?” Even though he believed he’d come prepared, somehow, it still is far colder than he imagined it would be. Kaito bites through the cold and snarls back at Hakuba, who seems perfectly at ease while by his side. “Who’d...who’d...want to go on a date with you?” 

“Well—” 

“— _Don’t_ answer that.”

He cuts Hakuba off and nips this topic in the bud. Leave it to this arrogant to prick to have an exact reply.

The four of them walk up to the door, and after replying to standard security protocol, they are given a pass. Awaiting for them inside, is a hotel furnished with nothing but the most ostentatious of decorations.

“What about Keiko? Isn’t she coming?” Aoko glances at Hakuba, who immediately shakes his head in response. 

“You didn’t invite her?” Kaito looks at him questionately, “Tsk, tsk. That’s cold, Hakuba. Even after she risked her life against Aoko to prove her devotion to KID-sama…” 

“Ah, no.” Hakuba stops smiling, and Kaito thinks it’s hilarious how he instantly comes to the defense of his own, cliched, chivalrous sensitivities “I did extend an invitation to Momoi-san as well. But she was rather concerned about intruding, about being a fi— ”

And then, as if catching himself before revealing some sort of sensitive information, he stops and takes a pause, “...Nevermind that. It’s a pity that she can’t join us tonight, but I’ll make it up to her in the future.” 

Kaito snorts. “Aren’t you worried she’ll sweep in KID cosplay to protect him or some crazy theory like that?”

It had been meant as a taunt, but the comment earns him an earnest laugh from Hakuba, much to Kaito’s dismay “I suppose that, if we see a pig-tailed iteration of KID tonight, wielding a jet-pack, or a kite, or a broom, I will be freed from any lingering doubts.” 

“ _Ehem._ ” Akako’s voice is sharp when she cuts into their conversation and turns towards Hakuba. “You must be confident in your abilities if you invited us tonight, Hakuba-kun.” 

“Hm,” Hakuba smirks, and there’s an enigmatic glint to his eye as he does, “I would say I’m feeling optimistic.” 

“Did you figure out KID’s plan already?” Aoko pops her head in 

“Do you want to hear my deduction?” The brilliant detective asks, out of courtesy. 

_No._

“Yeah!” 

_Damn it, Aoko._

“Let’s head to the cloakroom, I’ll explain on the way.” Hakuba instructs, and points up ahead. The three of them follow suit. 

“Given the layout of the building,” Hakuba speaks for all of 2 seconds, and Kaito already has a headache, “the current weather conditions, and security set-up, there are three most likely methods of infiltration.” 

“Before that, there are some things that should be taken into consideration. I believe that, by now, KID should have learned that the strong winter winds render his hang-glider unusable. Besides, there is snowfall in the forecast tonight.” He watches Kaito when he says this. It feels like this last sentence is highlighted as a warning. “If he cares about his own safety, entry points such as the rooftop or a balcony cannot be reached.” 

Kaito yawns as an excuse to look away. 

“The fact that checked-in guests and staff members have been in hotel grounds since yesterday morning, should also be considered.” Hakuba continues. “No one has left since.”

Kaito heard about this a couple of nights ago while scouting out for information. To ensure security, guests and trusted personnel agreed to stay in hotel grounds for 24 hours during the day of the heist. With no one going in or out, disguising himself as a guest was out of the question. Kaito feels obligated to add, “Hah. So it’s just like a fancy prison, huh?”

“If prison allowed you to watch a private KID performance.” Hakuba doesn’t laugh, but he clearly thinks that what he has said is remarkably funny. “Though, I suppose that may one day be a reality.” 

“Yeah, yeah. As if.” Kaito’s entirely unamused. Because he is here now, this entire discussion is moot, anyway. Who cares about what his original infiltration plan had been? “You gonna keep talking about how you’ve got KID all figured out, or can we go?”

“If you insist.” Instead of getting the hint, Hakuba has the gall to keep going. “Because neither flight nor the guise of a guest are viable options for entry, that leaves three options.”

“First, is an old favourite: using a member of the task force.” Much like the antiquated gentleman he likes to pretend to be, Hakuba walks towards Aoko and offers to help her take her coat off while he continues to explain. “This is the most straightforward way to get into the building, because it’s the only group of people who have been allowed entry.”

_Bzzzt! Try harder, detective._

“We discard this theory because, as simple as it is, it also bears the highest risk.”

“What’s that?” Aoko asks. 

“That I’m here, of course.” Hakuba answers without hesitation. 

_Asshole._

It’s not that he’s wrong. It _is_ risky to pretend to be a policeman when Hakuba can examine him up close. 

But, the fact he feels the need to rub it on his face and announce it to the world will never fail to get under his skin. 

Hakuba folds Aoko’s winter coat delicately over his arm and gestures at Akako with a similar offer. She’s glad to oblige. 

“The second is through the janitorial service. No matter how much you try to restrict entrance, a hotel must be regularly cleaned. This is something we accept as fact, and thus, many overlook. This makes it highly vulnerable.”

Wrong again. 

“Sneaking in like a rat.”Akako huffs. “Sounds likely.”

“This point of entry poses its own set of challenges. Namely, it’s an old cliché. Chesterton’s _Invisible Man_ , if you will.” Just like he had before, Hakuba presents a valid theory just to disprove it immediately afterwards. Probably so he can prove he can, and it’s insufferable. “It being below suspicion immediately casts suspicion upon it by extension. Beyond disguising himself as a police officer, this is the second most predictable method.”

“And the third?” Without thinking, it is Kaito who asks this time. 

“In the same way that a hotel needs proper cleaning to function normally, kitchens need to operate until late at night and from early dawn. The kitchen staff prepares the ingredients needed for the following morning’s breakfast in advance. Fresh ingredients are delivered around that time. On the other side of the building, this coincides with the time of the nightly trash disposal.”

The world’s most obnoxious and pretentious detective is now offering Kaito help with removing his jacket. 

Kaito doesn’t move, so Hakuba carries on with his explanation. 

“At 19:55 KID arrives at the scene alongside an exceptionally large food delivery. He disguises himself as part of the delivery men. At 8 p.m exactly, as he helps unload the ingredients, a distraction he’s prepared in advance goes off in the janitorial area and directs security towards it. He makes use of confusion to bypass checkups and enter the building. Within the next 10 minutes, he discards his initial mask and hides among housekeeping and staff members.”

_Damn you._

“As our local expert magician,” Hakuba smiles at him, still waiting, confident and at ease. “What do you think, Kuroba-kun?”

Kaito isn’t conceding a point that easily. 

“I think…” He starts. An impish grin spreads across his face, and he looks up at Hakuba, defiant, “that for all your word vomit there, you’ve got a massive oversight.”

“Oh?”

“We’re all outsiders too, aren’t we?”

Despite the fact he’s just stating the obvious, it still catches Hakuba off guard. Like he hadn’t expected him to allude to the present truth so eagerly, so bluntly. He blinks back at Kaito and briefly appears confused. But confusion gives way to intrigue, and interest becomes fascination.

“That’s correct. Save for Akako-san, there are reports of KID using all three of our faces.”

“So, as our local _hebo-tantei_ ,” Kaito jeers, “Can you prove you aren’t KID?” 

Hakuba doesn’t reply, but offers a haughty smile that says Can you, Kuroba-kun? 

And then, his attention is suddenly taken from the detective before him and turns to sharp, stinging pain that suddenly rushes through his cheek.

“What the he-” 

“Aoko declares you both KID free!” Aoko declares merrily as she pulls onto both boy’s cheeks as hard as she can. She only lets go when Akako promptly pinches hers in turn.

“ _Owowowow_!”

“Oh? It looks like Nakamori-san is innocent as well.”Akako concludes. 

Three war casualties quietly stare at Akako as they soothe their injuries. 

No one dares lay a hand on her. 

“So?” Akako clears her throat and attempts to refocus the conversation, “are you going to the kitchens, Hakuba-kun?

“Ah, no.” “That used to be the case, but this deduction no longer applies. The security setup and plans for the night changed quite drastically in the past 24 hours, after all.”

“Is that why my dad’s not here?” Aoko raises an important question. Kaito has spotted most of the members of the task force scattered throughout the lobby, but Nakamori is nowhere to be found. That alone is cause for concern. 

“With the change in plans, Nakamori-keibu is taking care of a special assignment. He must have arrived at his post by now.”

“A special assignment?” Aoko glows with pride. “What is it?”

“I’m afraid I can’t say.” Hakuba says apologetically, “But I assure you that your father’s job is very important, Aoko-san.” 

“You were so eager to show off and rant before.”Kaito shoots Hakuba yet another dirty look. “What’s all this new secrecy for?”

“Well,” Hakuba raises a finger to his lips in response, “secrets are the lifeblood of magicians, are they not?”

Kaito takes his jacket off and tosses it at him. 

* * *

“Thank you for being here today” 

A man Kaito recognises as the hotelier calls for everyone’s attention. 

In a matter of minutes, the hotel lobby has become completely crowded. Kaito suspects he’s surrounded by most, if not all, guests currently lodging in the hotel. It is, by all means, the ideal environment for KID to perform in. 

Or, it would have been. If only he wasn’t here as Kuroba Kaito, and didn’t have his childhood friend, a sinister witch, and a pig-headed detective breathing down his neck. 

He really had set himself up for this. 

But, it’s fine. A simple, minor inconvenience if he’s ever seen one. He can work around this, he’s come prepared. Just as soon as he confirms the gem’s location, he’s confident in his ability to create a distraction and slip away from Hakuba’s grasp. 

Cue problem number two. 

Once he has everyone’s attention, the hotel manager resumes his welcome speech. “In light of KID’s notice and tomorrow’s festivities, the hotel staff has arranged a special event for the evening.” 

Hushed, expectant voices fill the lobby without delay. The hotel manager then raises a brown velvet box for the crowd to see. “Thanks to the support of the police force, we’ve been able to arrange a special game where the winner will receive this as a prize.”

The man opens the box and many a guest in the crowd gasp in surprise. 

Inside, is KID’s target for the night.

The brown opal he intends to steal is the centerpiece of an ornate lapel pin. The metalwork surrounding the jewel has been carefully moulded in order to resemble flower petals while the pin itself is styled after a rapier. 

According to his research, the pin belonged to Baroness Orczy and her husband. The opal itself refracts light in a way that results in red plays of colour, turning the pin into a “Scarlet Pimpernel”. Whatever the case, the notorious lineage alongside the visual effect makes it worth checking. 

This is what the hotelier holds right now. 

...Except, not quite. 

“This is an exact replica of the Orczy lapel pin.” The manager specifies. This isn’t a surprise. From where he’s standing, Kaito can tell that the opal on the pin is synthetic, though likely a high quality one, at that. What comes as a shock is what follows, “The real one is hidden somewhere in the building. We’re inviting you to search for it and try to find it before KID does.” 

_Huh._

“We hope you take this chance to enjoy yourselves and earn this most unique souvenir.”

At face value, it seems pretty simple. But, Hakuba’s involvement makes this entire thing reek of a larger meticulously calculated scheme that will cause Kaito nothing but grief.

“A game…” In response to the announcement, Aoko looks utterly lost. 

“It _is_ unusual…” Akako, too, seems somewhat bewildered.

“Don’t be stupid.” Kaito shakes his head at them and shrugs. “There’s no way they’re going through with it for real. They’re probably just trying to distract KID and pull some marketing stunt at the same time. ”

The most likely scenario is that it’s hidden in one of the rooms, or being carried by the manager, Nakamori, or Hakuba himself. Hiding it in a public area anyone can reach leaves too much up to chance, and it sounds unlike Hakuba to be willing to take these risks. 

There _must_ be more to it. 

“I assure you, it _is_ serious,” Hakuba interjects, “and nothing if not fair.”

“Does this mean you know where the gem is hidden, Hakuba-kun?”

“Of course.” The detective says so with pride. “I wouldn’t be any good at keeping it safe if I didn’t.” 

Seeing Hakuba at ease does nothing but quell Kaito’s own skepticism. “It’s a cute effort and all but, aren’t you basically handing the gem over?” 

"Giving him free rein to search the building to his heart's content." "Very _bold_ of you, Hakuba-kun."

By bold, she seems to mean stupid. 

Kaito doesn’t disagree with that sentiment. 

“I’ve arranged a number of preparations to make sure that won’t happen.”Kaito’s chiding and Akako’s underhanded comments do nothing to upset the detective. His courteous smile remains undisturbed. “But, if you’re this concerned that it’ll be simple, you’re more than welcome to partake in the fun and find it before he does.”

“Oh! Oh!” It doesn’t take Aoko longer than a second to jump at the opportunity. “Can we?”

“Of course.” Hakuba is happy to let Aoko indulge in her wishes. “This is why I invited you, after all.” 

Kaito and Akako don’t seem nearly as convinced. 

“But you can stay here.” Hakuba adds, using the same condescending tone he does whenever he’s trying to provoke Kaito. “I’ll be here to keep you company for as long as you do.”

Kaito hates how effectively it works. 

Every. Single. Time. 

“Eh, we’re already here, right? Might as well.” Kaito sighs and shrugs again.

_Alright, Hakuba. I'll bite. It’s on._

“Very well.” Hakuba nods, and he has no right to look as pleased as he does. 

“Okay!” But, perhaps even happier than the teenage detective, is Aoko. She bounces excitedly in place and raises a determined fist up in the air. “We’ll definitely protect the gem from KID!” 

She declares so and, holding on to Kaito’s and Akako’s sleeves, tugs and edges them to move forward. “Onward! Let’s gooooooooo!”

* * *

“Gaaaaaaaaagh!” 

Motivation begins to waver after well over a couple of hours in. After she gives up searching through the towels and linens stored in housekeeping, she allows herself to fall on one of the chairs placed in the hallways. 

“This is impossible! Aoko’s exhausted!”

“Forget about it Ahoko.” Kaito is exhausted, too. They’ve been searching for almost three hours, and he still hasn’t found any reliable leads. With every passing second, his impatience grows. “These guys probably hid it somewhere impossible anyway and are just leading everyone on. It’s an elaborate scam.”

“That wouldn’t do.” Only Hakuba’s mood shows no signs of waning. Of course he’d be perfectly relaxed, watching Kaito waste all this time. “I am hurt - appalled, frankly - that you believe me to be a liar and a crook.” 

Kaito grumbles through his teeth. “Yeah, and why’s that?” 

“A hopelessly sore loser if I’ve ever seen one, Kuroba-kun.” This is easy for Akako to say, because she hasn’t lifted a finger to help in the search. At this point, she seems bored more than she does tired, and she’s reverted to her devious probing for the sake of her own entertainment. 

“No one’s lost here yet!” he snaps back. 

Here is what Kaito gathered so far. 

The pin is not in the kitchen or dining areas, not in the spa or in the poor, nor is it with the cleaners or housekeeping. There’s a couple of recreation areas they haven’t checked yet, but he suspects that none of them will yield results. 

Because of the large number of guests running around, it’s not like there have been ample chances to slip away undetected. But, KID can’t appear until he’s confident in the location of the pin. “Kaito” can’t disappear for too long without raising Hakuba’s suspicion, so he can’t afford to run around blindly the instant he does.

At the beginning of the search, he was expecting for undercover cops to be mixed in with the guests. A way to guard the gem under the guise of searching for it. However, everyone he’s encountered seems to be genuinely stumped. In fact, the task force itself also seems to be at a loss. They’re all scattered around, patrolling the place in an almost aimless pattern. There are no signs of anyone trying to guard a specific place, or any type of giveaway of where it might have been hidden. 

As it stands, Hakuba himself is his only hope in getting a clue.

According to the guidelines given by the hotel manager, the pin isn’t hidden inside any private room or being held by a single person. Supposedly, it’s not being held in any type of any special security, and no tools or skills are needed to retrieve it. He doesn’t have any real reason to believe this is true, other than Hakuba’s word backing it up. 

But Hakuba has nothing to gain by being honest with him, so who’s to say he isn’t being deceived? This is what the rational part of Kaito’s brain knows makes sense. 

His gut, on the other hand, tugs at him. It screams that there’s a reason for all of it, and that there’s something that he’s not quite grasping from Hakuba’s words. 

Kaito peeks over discreetly, catching sight of Hakuba staring intently at his watch. For no longer than a second, he appears serious and less smug. A face that makes Kaito think he’s becoming impatient, too. 

_Why?_

“Midnight approaches, Hakuba-kun.” Akako offers her usual enigmatic smile. “What will you do?”

“My best, as usual.” Hakuba closes his watch, and looks at her with a similar, puzzling expression as he puts it away. “Of course, I expect KID to do as well.”

Kaito doesn’t hope to understand what they’re talking about now. Maybe it’s better if he doesn’t. 

“How are _we_ supposed to find it, though?” Aoko whines from her spot on the chair, gesturing wildly with her arms. “This place is huge!” 

“Split up to cover more ground.” Akako suggests with a grin. “What say you?”

“But,” Aoko scrambles up and sits back up, clearly apprehensive. “What if we run into KID alone and can’t stop him?” 

“So, let’s go in pairs.” Even though Akako seems like she might be proposing this in an attempt to help him, the look she gives him makes his skin crawl. “I could go with Kur—Eh?”

“Then, Akako-chan should come with Aoko!” Akako isn’t done presenting her suggestion when Aoko, with her fatigue abruptly cured, jumps off her seat and grabs her eagerly by the arm. “We’ll show them! We’ll definitely find it before both Bakaito and KID!”

Hakuba, of course, is quick to agree. “I’ll keep an eye on Kuroba-kun, in that case.”

_Aoko..._

“So, we’ll search the lower floors and you search the higher ones!” Aoko instructs, and it’s more of an order than it is a request. 

“Hah?” “That’s not fair, there’s way more public areas in the lower floors.”

“Sorry!” His friend winks and sticks her tongue out, “Aoko’s already called dibs!”

“Hmph, fine!” Kaito huffs and mirrors Aoko’s goofy look. “Don’t come crying when I find it before you, Ahoko.”

“Let’s go, Akako-chan! We’ve got this!” 

Aoko wraps her arm around Akako’s, and begins to pull a baffled red witch towards the stairs. 

“Eh? Eh? _Ehhh_?”

* * *

“Don’t you have anywhere else to be?”

By now, Kaito very well knows there’s no getting rid of Hakuba. The nosy detective has been following behind him for fifteen minutes. Unlike Kaito, he walks at a leisurely pace, like this is just part of a lovely evening stroll. Hakuba’s fixed gaze pierces into his back, and it makes the hairs on the back of Kaito’s neck stand on end.

“You should know that wherever you go, I’ll be sure to follow.” 

How Hakuba manages to say these things with a straight face is beyond him. They always make Kaito’s brain short-circuit and go completely blank, overridden by the warm tingle that spreads through his chest -heartburn, he thinks- and the fluttering in his stomach.

“...Do you ever hear yourself?” Fortunately, he’s also quick to recover. He grimaces and glares at Hakuba with complete disgust. “Do whatever you want, I guess.”

Hakuba smiles and nods in return. He takes out his phone, glances at it, and quickly types a message down. 

Time for a contingency plan. 

With the vast majority of the guests busy searching through the floors below, the hallways they’re currently walking through seem empty in comparison. They walk through patrolling policemen and staff here and there, but Kaito knows it’s a matter of time until they reach an empty corner. He’s memorised the hotel’s layout, along with the security cameras’ blind spots. If he manages to use some sleeping the second they’re alone, he can make use of the opportunity to check for information through Hakuba’s phone and, if not, he can always disguise himself as him to lure Nakamori out of hiding. After that, it’s stealing the gem and returning to Hakuba so he can pretend to have been knocked out as well. 

It’s going to be an uncomfortably close call, but he can pull it off. He’ll make it work. 

He’s still running numbers and drafting routes in his head when he arrives at a corner and something crashes into him, pushing him back and onto the floor. 

There’s the sound of clattering metal and splashing liquid. 

“A-aah! I’m so sorry!” Kaito hears a shrill shriek and before he knows it, Hakuba’s kneeling by his side. 

Kaito blinks once and then studies his surroundings in an attempt to process the situation. There’s a food trolley in front of him, but its contents have fallen over and spilled to the side. A horrified staff member stands next to the trolley, and Kaito realises that they must’ve collided. 

His clothes are soaked. 

Hakuba examines him with a grave expression, “Are you hurt?”

“It’s all good.” 

The detective nods before turning to the waitress, “Are you alright, miss?” 

“Um, yes…” she musters, “but he’s…”

She looks like she’s about to cry. 

“Hey, hey.” Kaito smiles brightly in reassurance. “It’s not that big a deal, promise.”

“It’s just clothes, see?” He hops up and dusts himself over, showing her he really is fine. “No harm done.” 

“I really, really, _really_ am sorry—”

“I promise, it’s okay.” In a quick, imperceptible movement, Kaito reaches for one of the handkerchiefs in his pocket and presents it to her, folded neatly in the shape of a flower. “Don’t look so sad, okay?”

She gasps in delight and claps a couple of times, becoming visibly more relaxed. 

This calms Kaito down, too, and it takes him a second to notice that Hakuba has brought his own handkerchief to the side of his face. 

“H-hey!” It takes every ounce of self control for Kaito not to leap out of his skin. “What the hell?”

“There’s something on your cheek.” There is a feeling all too soft and gentle when Hakuba’s fingers accidentally brush against his skin. All of a sudden his mind is empty once again and he forgets how to think. 

It’s suffocating. 

“You—”

The feeling disappears just as quickly as it had come. Hakuba turns around and once again takes his phone out. “Hello? This is Hakuba.” 

“No, no. It’s not about KID. No need for alarm.” He explains, “there’s been a minor incident with a guest. Is it possible to arrange a change of clothes?” 

A pause, a quick examination over Kaito, and a nod. “Yes. A size smaller will suffice. Thank you.”

“I don’t really need—”

Kaito tries to object but the Hakuba’s already made a decision for him, and starts giving directions to the young woman.

“Can you please accompany Kuroba to the cloakroom?” 

“Of, of course!” She exclaims and nods her head repeatedly, “It’s the least I can do! But I…”

She trails off, lowering her head. 

“Is something else the matter?” Hakuba asks. 

“I was supposed to deliver this…”she reaches for an inconspicuous, white box that managed to remain in the cart, “they said it was really important, I—” 

For just barely a quarter of a second, Hakuba’s eyes widen. 

“I’ll gladly be of assistance if you’ll allow me.” Ever the gallant gentleman, Hakuba extends a hand out to her and offers to take the box. “I can make this delivery for you while you take Kuroba to the lobby.”

“I’d be really thankful!” she says, “but...I’m...not sure I should burden you with—”

“It’d be my pleasure.” Well-mannered but assertive, as he tends to be. 

“Thank you so much!”

The woman bows several times in gratitude and offers the box. Hakuba takes it with absolute care, as one who holds a precious treasure. “I’ll see you later then, Kuroba-kun.”

He turns on his heel.

Kaito can’t help but grin. 

_Found it._

* * *

“So, it has taken you until 23:58:48 to finally make your appearance, KID.”

“There is flair in being fashionably late too, _tantei-san_.”

Sneaking away from the server hadn’t given him much trouble. From then on, tracking Hakuba and following him onto the roof before switching into KID was all standard procedure. 

The moonlight and the distant buildings cast the perfect balance between light and shadow needed to conceal his face. 

“That is a peculiar way to admit that you’ve had your fair share of trouble today.”

“Ah-ah! On the contrary...” With a playful smirk, KID raises a hand and snaps his fingers. A familiar white box appears within a controlled puff of smoke, “playing with you tonight has been lovely, but it really has been quite easy.” 

Hakuba recoils for a moment, then visibly relaxes. “You really are quite skilled at producing fakes at a short notice.”

But that fleeting hesitation is enough. A little surprise, an almost undetectable twitch from his hand, and KID knows that he only needs to reach for the left pocket. 

“And,” with another click of fingers, the box transforms into a white rose, “ I think you are much more expressive than you might realise.” 

A striking gust of wind envelops their surroundings. KID’s cape sways behind him when he leaps to close the distance between them. Up close, he can see how each strand of Hakuba’s hair, too, is ruffled by the rush of air. 

When he leans into the detective’s space, he makes sure to whisper, “It’s one of your _cute_ sides, too.” 

And, with that, he holds the real box in his hand. 

Hakuba takes a breath and steps back, nose and ears tinted with a pale shade of pink, then looks at his watch. 

“0:00:13” he states, grinning. Not with a tone that implies _you’re late,_ but one that seems to say _just in time._ “It is officially a new day.”

He doesn’t get why that matters. 

Careful not to let his poker-face slip off, KID opens the box he’s holding.

Sure enough, there’s an ornate pin inside. 

... _Except_.

A sweet, familiar smell greets him, and just for a second, he examines the contents in awe. 

“...It’s chocolate.” He whispers. 

“Just for tonight, I decided to take a page off your book.” Hakuba laughs an earnest, jovial laugh, “Did you enjoy my own brand of misdirection magic, KID?”

“Oh?” KID closes the box once again, running through the night’s events in his head. “Is the Young Master considering a change in career?”

“No, no.” Hakuba chuckles as he shakes his head. “This has been a one-night show only. I'm no magician. Hiding the real in front of everyone wasn’t easy.”

_In front of everyone?_

It finally clicks. 

_So that’s where it is._

"I’m afraid there still is a long way to go for you.” He winks at the now flushed-face detective, "It's when you're running after me that you're at your best."

"If I make the call now, you have approximately 45 seconds before the task force makes it here."

"How considerate of you, to bring me to the ideal escape route"

“After our first meeting,” Hakuba’s face now changes into concern, “I would've expected you to learn that February winds are substandard for flying. There was snow in the forecast tonight.”

“And, after chasing me this long…” KID steps towards the edge of the roof, “I expect you to know that's not enough to stop me _._ ”

“...Of course.” Hakuba finally concedes with a sigh. 

“Now then,” he stands at the ledge, holding out the box for Hakuba to see, and then tucking it inside one of his pockets, “for my troubles, I will be taking this gem as compensation.”

At that moment, there is something akin to genuine joy and tenderness in Hakuba’s expression. 

KID’s body feels all too warm. 

“Let’s meet again, Detective Hakuba.”

The thief jumps and disappears into the night. The detective steps towards the edge and peers below. 

KID is nowhere to be seen. 

A couple of meters below, Kaito holds his breath as he hides in the nearest balcony. 

_How on earth isn’t Hakuba freezing?_

The detective looks ahead and lets out a wistful sigh. He says, to no one in particular. 

“It’s about time Kuroba-kun finished changing, isn’t it?”

_Shit._

* * *

“Bakaito, you cheater! You promised you wouldn’t come downstairs!”

“Huh? When did I ever promise something like that?”

When it’s all over, the four of them reunite back at the main hall. Kaito fiddles with his newly-earned pin replica, which he makes appear and disappear between his hands. 

“To think Kuroba-kun found the gem before KID did” Akako muses, “Do all magicians think the same way?”

“Dad was really surprised, too!” Aoko adds, “He said he was convinced it was KID who had come for the pin , but then BAM! It was just Kaito.”

“ _Just_ Kaito, she says...” Completely drained out, Kaito groans. “Why is it that I always end up handcuffed when I hang out with you guys? Seriously…”

“How did you even figure it out?” Aoko asks like she’s expecting the same type of elaborate deduction show Hakuba had given them earlier. 

“Eh.” He shrugs, “My clothes got soaked and when I came to change I just kinda found it by chance.”

He’s not lying exactly, Hakuba had given him the perfect excuse.

Once he had realised where the real gem was hidden, he switched back to Kaito and made his way down. He then snuck into the cloakroom and, sure enough, the pin was placed neatly on Aoko’s coat. 

All that bragging at the time he’d asked for their jackets hadn’t been just for show, then. 

“At any rate, I really do think that he’d be a useful asset to the task force.” Hakuba finally speaks up, still looking fully pleased with himself. “You should come to heists more often.”

“No way.” Kaito’s never falling for this again. It’s too much of a bother. “It’s not my fault you’re a shoddy detective who can’t do his job.”

It had been a close call. He hadn’t been expecting Nakamori to jump out from behind the hangers to try to arrest him. Staying as “Kaito” and pretending he had found the gem as part of the game seemed the safest move. 

For the short while when he had held the real gem, he managed to hold it out against the moonlight through a nearby window. No luck.

“You say that, but the truth is that you still enjoyed yourself, didn’t you, Kuroba-kun?” Akako teases, “You’ve even gotten a souvenir.”

“This?” Kaito inspects his prize once again. “God, what am I supposed to do with something as weird and flashy as this?”

It really is a remarkable replica. The main giveaway is the subtle textures seen on the opal itself.

The real one is rougher. Though synthetic, the surface on this one is flawless, the composition of the entire thing is calculated and perfected with absolute precision. When it refracts lights, it’s almost as if it acquires a russet glow. 

Kaito thinks it’s quite pretty.

It reminds him of—

“I trust you’ll find a good use for it, Kuroba-kun.” Hakuba chuckles and is the first one to step out.

* * *

Back outside, the usual crowd that accompanies KID heists surrounds the building. Amongst a sea of disappointed faces, Aoko’s smile stands out against the crowd. “Thanks for inviting us, Hakuba-kun! Aoko had a lot of fun! And KID lost for once, too!”

Kaito’s teeth are clattering. Never in his life has he more desperately wished it were possible to speed up time. 

“Ah, well...” 

Hakuba seems hesitant, and their eyes meet. Would the detective really claim that he had won? And if he had, what _had_ he won, exactly?

He had briefly tricked KID, sure, but not in a way that had gotten him caught. It hadn’t prevented Kaito from finding the gem either, even if KID officially never had. 

Was there a point tally to be drawn?

If there ever was a competition, it had quickly become muddled and completely blurred the lines. 

And Hakuba looks at him, fond and warm, “I wouldn’t say he’s lost, exactly…”

“ _Ladies and gentlemen!”_

KID’s familiar voice echoes throughout the vicinity. The crowd, suddenly coming to life, cheers 

It’s showtime, which means it’s his detective’s turn to be surprised.

“You—”

_Keep up, Hakuba, I’ll show you something neat._

A white figure stands at the top of the building, extending his arms out. Even then, Hakuba’s focus is on him. Watching him, scrutinising him, as he always does. 

Kaito grins his most sit-eating grin and mouths the words “ _I’m not KID_ ”

“Tonight, I wish that your lives are full with the same love and support with which you have filled mine.”

With that said, KID jumps off the roof and erupts into a flurry of pink flowers mid-flight. True to his name, the phantom thief completely disappears from sight. 

By the time they reach the crowd below, they’ve turned pure white. 

Hakuba watches as they shower over him. Absorbed in the illusion, he raises a hand and watches the petals flutter through his fingers. 

The moment he looks back down, there’s a lapel pin carefully placed over his coat. 

“On second thought...” Kaito’s already running off when Hakuba comes to that realization. “...you keep that, Hakuba! Figuring out what to do with it is too much of a hassle!”

“Kuroba—”

A street light reflects on both the opal and Hakuba’s eyes at the same time.

Over them, a light snow begins to fall.

“See ya!”

Kaito’s gone before Hakuba has the chance to ask questions or propose an explanation.

_Secrets are the lifeblood of magicians, are they not?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I hope this managed to misdirect or surprise you at least a little bit (?¿)  
> I'm a little late but I hope you've enjoyed!  
> I love coming up with heist tricks and scenarios, but writing them out and making them feel natural is much harder so I ended up having to rewrite this several times before getting something I was satisfied with. Still, it was very fun to do!  
> I also wanted to clarify that the heist target is completely fictional, haha
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	3. February 14th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I want to be dyed with you, dyed with your colours.  
>  Don't look anywhere, just play with my heart.  
> I want to think, I want to think that way,  
> a pink coloured heart forecast._

“Aah, what the hell…” Kaito collapses on his bed as soon as he gets back home. “I can’t deal with that guy at all.”

Aoko had given him a lashing for running off without them, but he couldn’t stand to stay there any longer. It was too stifling, far too much. 

It’s well past 2 a.m on February 14th and Kaito’s too tired to think about the cold. 

Instead, he lays in bed examining the night’s spoils. 

The chocolate piece inside is expertly crafted. A perfect chocolate sculpture replicating everything down to the most minute detail. 

Is this what Hakuba was talking about on the phone in school? How much did he spend on something as extravagant as this?

It’s almost too pretty to eat, but he can't deny it smells good. 

“...Bastard.”

Save for those of suspicious origins, and those offered by his sworn enemies and by one Koizumi Akako, Kaito would never be opposed to receiving free chocolate. 

He seriously debates about whether this qualifies into the first two of those categories.

And still, he chooses to take a bite. 

_...It’s sweet._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's a wrap!  
> Happy (belated) Valentines!
> 
> When I started writing this out, I just wanted to think of a story where Hakuba gave Kaito some chocolate.  
> Then my glitched somewhere along the way and we ended up here oops  
> I think it's a bit convoluted and extremely self indulgent, but I had a lot of fun writing it
> 
> Thank you for reading all the way and thanks to everyone who's willing to hear me ramble endlessly about these two aaaaaaaa it's a huge motivation to write and create more content for them, I love them very much!

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Eve's [Heart Forecast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJf4wCdLU18) and me just taking Kaito's canon obliviousness towards Valentines and rolling with it  
> This is a mess. It's so messy. I don't know what I'm doing TT  
> I really wanted to write a Valentine's story for these two but no matter how much I love them, I am (unsurprisingly) terrible at writing romance  
> Still, I hope you can enjoy what I've come up with regardless...  
> Can you tell my hands shake uncontrollably every time I post my writing?
> 
> You can find me on tumblr @justiceraffles!


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